A creative conversation across two continents.
By Diane Perin Hock and Helen Conway

Saturday, 3 September 2011

We interrupt this conversation...

... to add a clarification. We recently learned that someone had read my introductory blog entry, and got rather upset. Here's what I said that provoked her distress:

I warn you now: we don't have topical restrictions on our conversation and it's likely to range far and wide (although we don't intend to talk about what we had for dinner last night or what our families are doing or what is growing in the garden or in the back of the vegetable bin).

She read that as critical of blogs that talk about gardening and cooking instead of or along with artsy conversation, and took it personally as a slight about her blog. But that wasn't at all what we meant. In case there's been any misunderstanding, I thought it worthwhile to clarify.

Helen and I both really enjoy blogs that show us people's full lives -- whether that includes the house remodel, what's growing in the garden, what got baked that afternoon, what a kid-filled summer day looks like, you name it. We have talked about this a lot, Helen and I, and we agree that the blogs we are drawn to are the ones in which we get to know the person along with and beyond the art she makes, the fabric she dyes, etc.

But Helen and I both blog with a common philosophy: we are doing this for ourselves and each other, and if anyone happens to read along and find it interesting, that'd be lovely. But we started this blog to serve a narrow purpose. And the point of that comment in my introduction was an effort to keep me and Helen on a narrower path in this blog, which we want to use for our conversations about creativity. We have our own, individual blogs for the other bits and bobs of our lives, and there you could well find us talking about our gardens (except we each seem to be ignoring ours at the moment) and our cooking (which, in my house, hasn't been anything to even mention lately.) Personally I love to read blogs about food and gardening and have quite a list of them on my regular reading list.

So if by chance that comment early on struck a sour chord in you, please understand. It wasn't meant to denigrate or criticize anyone else's blog or blogging style. We're just starting this bloggy experiment for a purpose, and we wanted to set some boundaries for ourselves. That's all.

3 comments:

Oh, don't worry about that comment. I think most of see this as something different and such a lovely opportunity to eavesdrop on two like-minded friends. I have always loved books that were a series of letters between two people, especially if they are real people like 84 Charing Cross Road. I find this idea of yours quite delicious and I hope you don't mind if I butt in occasionally with a comment or two!

I agree with Terry. I'm looking forward to reading along, whatever you have to say. What we ALL have to realize is that not everything is about us.

If someone doesn't like my blog/style of blogging - that's their total right. I don't intend to change my style or what I say, and those who like it will stick around - those who don't - well why wouild I want them to stick around being annoyed by what I say or do?